The Artist
by Pansychic27213
Summary: [AU] Mike Schmidt is a hardworking college student with a love of art. When he starts to run low on cash, he starts an interesting job at the local kid's restaurant. There are strange things happening at Freddy Fazbear's after the sun goes down. Will Mike make it though the night? [This story is technically only four nights at Freddy's. XD]


**A/N: Hahahaha... So guess what fandom I got into! Watched a few AMVs, read some fanfictions, wrote this... Sorry, guys. I know I'm supposed to be updating any of my other four stories, but I have absolutely no inspiration for any of them at this time. I tried with Fallen and Furious Daddy Fury, but I still don't have good notes for those and I'm a little lost. I am open to suggestion though!**

 **So, anyway, this is an AU (kinda) where there were no children stuffed inside suits or anything. NO ghosties floating around. The animatronics come alive because they have extremely intelligent computer programming. There's no psychotic revenge plots or anything.**

 **Also, Mike is not the security guard. Mike is a college student earning his degree in art, who needs money and job experience so he offers to face paint and do portraits of kids. The manager thinks it will bring in more money so he just goes with it.**

 **Is that it? I think that's everything. Yeah? Yeah. Okay, here we gooooooooo!**

 **The Artist**

The brunette quietly unlocked the door and stepped inside the darkened building. It was well after closing hours, he knew, but he was determined to do his job well! And since he was still in college, he didn't have many hours where he was free to visit the old restaurant and get what he needed.

Blue eyes cautiously scanned over the room in front of him. Mike shook himself. Why was he so nervous? The only person here was the night guard, and he was probably asleep.

The young man stepped further into the building and entered the main dining hall, where Freddy and his band's stage sat peacefully. He approached the stage and quietly sat cross-legged in front of it.

"Um, hello?" He waved anxiously. He pulled the baseball cap away from his light brown hair and set it next to him, running the opposite hand through the freed locks. "Hi, I guess. I'm, um, Mike Schmidt, but most people just call me Mike- Sweet biscuits, I'm weird... Ugh, what am I doing with my life!" He buried his face in his hands for a moment, oblivious to the confused states he received. "Anyway," he looked back up with a sigh. "I'm the newest employee at Freddy's, and I felt it was right to introduce myself! I mean, we're going to be working together a lot, soooo... I mean, my job is- well, I'm supposed to face paint... You know, colors on the kid's faces? I'm studying art at the community college nearby..." He gave a wistful smile. "Man, it's been years since I've been here. I was going to stop by earlier, but I had classes and homework- And that's not what I'm here! I don't just do face paint; I'm also supposed to do sketches of birthday kids? I don't really know. Management said they needed someone who could sketch you in the background..." He looked down to rummage through his satchel. " _That's_ why I'm here! I need to memorize your face and body shapes. Plus, I'd love to try some different styles with your characters- I sound crazy talking to animatronics, don't I?" He laughed, not sounding at all ashamed.

From his bag he pulled a sketchpad, a box of colored pencils, a sketching pencil, an eraser, a watercolor paint set, a brush, and a cup. He set his tools on the edge of the stage, creating a workspace for himself. For a second he glanced up to the three sets of eyes watching him. Hadn't they been looking the other direction?

"Don't worry, guys!" He smiled brightly as he picked up the cup. "I'll be careful not to get any paint on the stage or anything. Now, where's the bathroom?" The brunette lightly jogged off in the direction of aforementioned bathroom and gathered a cup of water. When he returned, he found his colored pencils scattered across the stage. "How did...?" He stared at the three animatronics for a long, hard moment. "I'm losing my mind. Yep. That's what just happened. One wheel short of a car, or whatever they say. Actually, I thought that saying was about marbles? Whatever..."

Mike spent a few moments arranging his supplies and picking up the pencils. He laid the pad of paper in front of him, grabbed his pencil, and began to stare at Freddy, his eyes carefully roaming across the shapes and lines of his figure. An easy smile came to his face, and he returned his eyes to his paper to start drawing. Every few moments he looked up to check his work.

The only sound in the restaurant was the scratching of Mike's pencil.

Ten minutes later, the blue eyed man held up his pad to the animatronics, revealing a carefully draw and colored sketch of Freddy. It was done in light browns and golds, with round edges and curved lines. The usually rough looking bear looked softer and gentler. Like a real teddy bear. The famous animatronic was surrounded by bright blues and greens to create a cheerful setting.

Mike pulled the sketch back down to admire his work. "I've heard people calling you creepy before..." He sighed and ran his hand down the sketch. "I just don't understand it. The only scary thing about might be the metal bits showing, but those just seem fascinating. They're as much a part of you as the fluffy parts on your suits." He frowned. "Though, I have to admit, the fluffy parts don't look as good as they could." He set his sketchbook down to approached the animatronics. "Those technicians don't take very good care of you, do they?"

He gently ran his fingers through Chica's feathers.

"It's a shame... You're so beautiful..." He sighed and turned back to the sketchbook. Chica shuddered subtly behind him.

Mike sat down again and quietly sketched a picture of Chica, then a picture of Bonnie. As with the sketch of Freddy, they both seemed very friendly and cute. Then, he set about drawing rough sketches of them from different angles.

All too soon, an earth shaking yawn rattled the student's body and he sleepily began to pack up his things. "Sorry, guys, but I'm dead tired. This was nice though. Probably wouldn't have been able to get this kind of atmosphere earlier in the day. Thanks! I'll be back tomorrow, though, so try not to miss me too much!"

Mike happily left the building and locked the doors behind him, not hearing the surprised laughter from the security office or seeing the equally confused stares directed at his back.

-{[(•)]}-

The next night, Mike seemed a bit more timid.

"Hey, uh, I know the manager told me not to, but... Do'ya think I could do a few sketches of Foxy? I-I know people aren't supposed to go back there after the, ahem, _incident_ , but Foxy was my mom's favorite and I always heard so much about him growing up. I'm really only supposed to be working with you, but doesn't he ever get lonely back there, all by himself?" His petite brown eyebrows pulled together and creased his pale forehead.

"I'd sure be lonely..."

With a sad sigh, he approached the purple curtains at the back of the room. Mike gently spread them and stepped inside to see the pirate fox atop his own small stage. A pleased smile came to his lips.

"You're as handsome as my mom said," he murmured. His missed the slight twitch of Foxy's ear. "I understand this isn't the best way to meet you, but there really aren't any other options... I've always wanted to see you in person. I hope you won't mind if I get a few sketches..."

Mike stepped forward and sat cross-legged at Foxy's feet. He spread his supplies around him, and his happy blue eyes looked up to the red fox. Then they snapped down again to his sketchpad as he began to draw.

"What do you think?" Mike asked with a grin as he held up the pad for the fox's approval. "Oh..." Foxy's sharp teeth glinted from where his jaw had dropped. "Well that's not good... What's wrong with your jaw?" Mike carefully stood and studied the sides of the animatronic's face. "My what sharp teeth you have," he giggled. His face gradually became somber. "That's what happened in the incident, huh?" His fingertips ghosted across the sharp edges.

The brunette stepped back to get a better view of Foxy's whole image. He snapped.

"Well, I'm glad I brought tools, then!" He knelt down and began to dig through his bag. "Bonnie's ears were looking a little stiff, and I'm pretty sure I saw a loose screw on Chica. Your technicians are terrible. So, I thought I'd help a bit!" Mike looked up with a bright smile. "I think I have a screwdriver from my buddy in engineering. Aha! There it is!" The blue eyed male picked up the tool and approached the metallic fox again.

Gently he pushed the loosened jaw up and began to adjust the screws holding it in place. When they became too tight, a strange creaking noise came from within the animatronic.

"Sorry, sorry!" Mike cried and loosened the screws a bit again. "That should be good. What else do you need?" The brunette carefully examined the robot, slowly lifting his limbs and walking in slow circles around him. "I'm not into all this mechanics stuff, so I can't do much. But my grandpa taught me how to fix a car, so I should know something, right? Right? Yeah." He stepped back to admire the improvements. It wasn't much, but the fox definitely looked much better. "There we go. No more loose, achy joints or nothing."

The artist sat down again.

"As thanks, you'll let me do a watercolor piece of you on your fabulous ship!"

Mike grinned and ripped a page from his sketchbook. A sketch, a trip to the bathroom, a small brush debacle, and an hour later, the brunette held up a fantastic painting of Foxy brilliantly steering his ship away from a bright, sandy island. The water was painted so the viewer could see the marine life beneath the waves. Foxy's ship was painted in warm tones, like his fur. His eyepatch added to his figure instead of hiding an eye like it normally seemed to. His hook was pointed forward to direct the ship, and a marvelous captain's hat rested upon his head. In shiny yellow letters that looked like gold, _The Red Fox_ was painted on the side of the ship.

Mike grinned happily and bounced where he sat. "Do you like it? Whenever my mom tells stories of the games you played together, I always think of you like this." He shrugged modestly, but he was very proud of his work. Quickly, he pulled out his phone and took a picture. Then he looked up at the lone fox. "Um, here! You should have it! I can always make others, but this one is yours." He lightly placed it on the edge of Foxy's stage.

Mike glanced at his watch, yawned and began to pack his things away once more. "Well, thanks for having me! I'll definitely come back tomorrow. It was nice to meet you, Foxy!" The brunette waved and exited Pirate's Cove. "Sorry we didn't get a chance to hang out, today. But I'll be back. So see you around!"

Again, Mike exited the building safely.

-{[(•)]}-

"I'm back!" Mike called jovially and entered the dining hall. "I brought hats!" The tiny man's arms were burdened with an assortment of hats. "Really sorry about this, but the manager said I should try doing themed pictures for the special parties. I'll warn you in advance what I've got, though. A set of classic birthday hats for generic parties, a couple of cowboys hats, think there's a fairy tale set in here with crowns and a tiara, is that a wig? I don't know, guys. Management rules and all that..." He sighed. Then he promptly dumped his load on the edge of the stage.

"Let's start with the basics, right? So, party hats."

The brunette grabbed the identical cones and approached the three animatronics. He carefully removed Freddy's hat and replaced it with a birthday hat. He set a hat on Chica's head and tilted it at a flattering angle, and he gently adjusted Bonnie's ears to accommodate the new burden.

With a frown, Mike sat and began to sketch. Again, a few sketches from different angles and a cutesy sketch of each character. He finished after half an hour and set about removing and replacing the hats with the cowboy hats. Then he repeated the process. After a couple of hours, he had completed the necessary sketches.

"Well, glad that's done. Really, I am sorry about that. It's a bit ridiculous." The brunette stood and began to stretch. He took a quick jog around the room and wove back and forth between the tables to stretch his legs. Once more, he stood before the stage and reached above his head, tilting left and right to sooth his aching back muscles.

"Thanks for the cooperation, though. I appreciate it. Human models are never so nice," Mike thanked. He looked up at the stage to find that Bonnie's head had snapped towards him. "EEK! Oh, goodness, you moved!" He jumped back with wide eyes and a hand across his stuttering heart. "Holy hibiscus... That's scared the tar outta me! Don't... Don't _do_ that!"

He frowned, and his blue eyes anxiously danced over the animatronics. A light bulb went off above his head.

"The security guard controls everything at night, right? So he had the remote controls for you guys and stuff, doesn't he? That jerk! He's totally trying to pull one over on me!" Mike scowled. "I'll have you know that several people in my family have died from shock induced heart attacks. It's not funny business. And I don't like bullies." He shuddered slightly and began to clean up his things. "I'll be back tomorrow. Really hope you won't do something like that again."

The brunette left the building, ignoring the unhappy sting behind his eyes and the thundering of his heart.

-{[(•)]}-

The fourth day, Mike didn't have a bag with him.

The brunette quietly sat at the foot of the stage and stared down at his crossed legs. He removed his hat and fiddled with hem of his shirt. Small tremors raced through his shoulders.

"I, ah, had a bad day today. Someone thought it would be funny to ruin the art pieces I had left in our classroom. Which was pretty much all of them. I mean, they're just paintings, right? Crappy paintings by a crappy college student... But, I-I liked them. I kinda wanted to keep them, you know? And no one else's art work was wrecked. Just mine," he stated softly after a long period of silence. "It wasn't like water damage or anything, either. They covered each and every painting with thick black paint and the lunch they stole from me. Left a note, too. Told me how creepy I was for working at a kid's restaurant. How much of a pedophile I must be. Or maybe I'm just obsessed with you guys. Made fun of how I probably... probably..." He swallowed heavily, and a soft sound escaped him. "Damaged a lot of my art supplies, also. That's why I didn't bring anything today. Was stupid enough to leave my bag in the classroom when I went to ask the professor a question." Sparkling tears dribbled down his cheeks and dropped off his chin. He roughly wiped them away with his sleeves. "M-most of my, um, w-work has been of you guys lately. One of t-them said his little sister had o-one of my sketches of her and you. T-thought it was a compliment. Wasn't..."

Mike wrapped his arms around himself.

"S-sorry. Maybe I shouldn't h-have come. I'm not doing anything useful, just m-making a mess of myself." He sniffled weakly. His chest heaved with repressed sobs.

Two firm arms wrapped around him.

"I-I-I-it's alrig-ght, matey," a mechanical voice encouraged. Mike stiffened.

He looked up to see Foxy's muzzle right by his face. Movement from the stage caught his attention. Bonnie wiggled slightly and moved forward to sit on the edge of the stage. Chica stepped off the stage entirely and joined Foxy in the hug. Freddy stepped forward, looming over the group.

"Y-You're all moving-" Mike gasped. His heart beat once, twice, and stopped.

Everything faded to black.

-{[(•)]}-

When Mike first stirred, he groggily recognized the feeling of being in someone's lap. There was movement around him and bright colors above him, but he couldn't grasp what was happening. His fingers twitched, though he wanted to touch whatever was holding him. His eyes were open though, and slowly adjusting, so he was on his way back to reality.

" _He's awake!_ " The hushed whisper spread across the room.

"Y-you faint-t-ted like a lass-s, matey," a familiar voice croaked from above. Mike looked up. His eyes widened. At the same time, he managed to whimper and let out a garbled scream.

"It's alright," another voice soothed. "We aren't going to hurt you." It was Freddy. The bear. The animatronic. _Who should not be talking_!

Mike hiccuped. "I-I'm insane! Or dead. A-animatronics are talking t-to me." Another displeased sound came from his throat.

"You're not crazy, silly! You're safe here!" Chica chirped cheerfully. (See what I did there?)

"We even moved you to Pirate's Cove so that mean endoskeleton wouldn't disturb us!" Bonnie added helpfully.

"E-endoskeleton?" Mike questioned.

"Yeah! The one in the office! He's bad because he's not staying in his suit. We keep trying to put him in there, but he just won't let us!" Chica answered.

"You m-mean the security guard?" Mike replied, brows furrowing. "He's not an endoskeleton. He's a human. I haven't met him myself, but I know he's human."

"Really?" Freddy hummed. "That could have been a problem..."

"B-but I don't understand," Mike stated quietly and looked up to Foxy. "How are you all a-alive?"

"D-dunno," Foxy shrugged. "A-a-always been this w-way." The brunette turned puzzled blue eyes to the rest of the group. Freddy looked thoughtful, Bonnie was confused, and Chica was off in her own world.

"You know, I don't really know that either," the bear frowned. "I think it's a part of our programming? Why are you alive, Mike?"

"I-I-" the young man fumbled for an answer. "Huh. I don't know..." He sank further into Foxy's lap. "B-but... Why are y-you being nice to me? You could h-have hurt me."

"N-never you, matey!" Foxy exclaimed in shock.

"No, sir," Freddy agreed. Bonnie and Chica nodded in agreement.

"You called us beautiful!" The chicken smiled.

"And you made us pictures," Bonnie added. Foxy grinned at that and held out Mike's watercolor painting.

"Y-you kept it?" The brunette whispered hopefully. Tears bubbled down his cheeks, and he turned his face into the red-furred chest holding him up.

"O-o-o-of course!" The fox reassured and gently pulled him closer.

"That first night," Freddy hummed thoughtfully, still thinking on why they hadn't attacked Mike. "You acted so much like a child. We knew you were human instantly. Our programming doesn't let us hurt humans unless they pose a threat to the children or the restaurant."

"But you were already like a child to us, so even though you came in after hours, we wanted to protect and entertain you," Bonnie admitted.

"Then you were just too sweet!" Chica burst happily.

"Sorry I scared you, though," the purple bunny mumbled softly. Mike wiped his eyes.

"I-it's alright. A-after my dad... I don't like b-being startled."

Foxy rubbed his arm. "A-arr you feelin' b-b-better now?"

"Yeah, I t-think so," the blue eyed male nodded. He sat up a bit more. "Sorry to cause so much trouble."

"It's alright," Freddy smiled. "We've been wanting to officially meet you, and this was the perfect opportunity."

"So, what happens now?" The college student wondered.

"You keep doing your job during the day," the bear started.

"A-a-and keep visiting us at n-night," Foxy added.

"And we'll model for you!" Chica winked, striking a pose.

"And we can play and hang out like real friends!" Bonnie bounced. He grinned.

"F-friends?" Mike whispered. "Yes, p-please!"

"Then we'll see you tomorrow," Freddy smiled.

Nearby, the bell rang, signaling six in the morning. The animatronics returned to their places, and Mike moved to the office at the back of the building.

"Thank God, you're alive," the man in the office breathed. "And thank you for telling those four that I was human. It should save me a lot of trouble in the future. Who knows? I might be able to talk to them for once."

"You're welcome," Mike smiled. "I'll see you later."

"Alright! Be safe," the security guard replied and began to pack up his things to go home.

Mike Schmidt left the restaurant safe and content that he had four new friends.

 **A/N: Hehe... Not sure if that's what anyone was expecting. I had a general idea of what I wanted to do with this, and then my fingers just kind of ran with it. Pretty sure my brain had no part...**

 **QUESTION OF THE UPDATE! Who is your favorite animatronic and why? Did I portray them well in this?**


End file.
